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I finally got the dealing done and got the Philco 91X today at a lower price than the guy originally wanted for it. It was working great until the trip home jostled it, now it's having the volume control issues again. Along with the deal, the guy passed this radio on to me just to get it out of the way, a model 60 console in dire need of some TLC.[attachment=0]
I've never seen a Philco 60 in the console form before, so I think I'll try and save this one. The chassis is complete and the cabinet is solid, but that is all that's going for it right now. As you can see the speaker is blitzed, the grillecloth is blitzed, the knobs are gone, as well as the dial.. oh I can't spell it right now! Also all the controls are froze except the dial shaft and it doesn't turn the tuner anymore. The tuner is loose though and the plastic dial scale looks intact. This radio looks like it was attacked by kids who were never disciplined like the radios I found in an old house a few years back. This will wait until fall for any work as I need to track down parts and price speaker reconing for it, the 91X, and a Silvertone that needs speaker repairs.
Note from site admin: Sorry, but the photo which was attached to this post is no longer available.
No matter where you go, there you are.
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The good thing is that all the items you mentioned are readily available from suppliers listed here in the Phorum! The cabinet looks restorable. You will have a nice looking radio when you are done.
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I will admit, I probably wouldn't take on a project like this if it wasn't a Philco. There is enough information here and suppliers listed to make me feel more comfortable taking on this challenge. The previous owner said he might have already found some of the knobs for the radio in his knob stash, so that's good news already!
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That's a pretty nice console, even if it is a little five-tube set. I know these days many of us tend to look down on the console versions of our favorite cathedral models, but if you stop and think about the set's original owner, and how he (or she) felt it was worth the few extra bucks to get the furniture (console) model instead of the Baby Grand (cathedral)...I think it makes these sets even more interesting.
Of course, consoles do take up a lot of room as opposed to cathedrals...
Jayce, good luck with that 60L.
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Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
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I've always had a weak spot for the little console versions of the baby grand radios. I had tried for a while to get either a model 20 or 21 console because I liked how small they are and how they look, and then get a 20 or 21 Baby Grand to go with it. This radio was sitting right beside the 91X when I went back to buy it and I had already decided this little console was leaving with me as well.
I tested the tubes in it tonight and three out of five were good. The 42 had a dead short and the 78 had a burnt out filament. Luckily I had good replacements in my small stash of used tubes.
Thanks for the support. I will probably dive into this radio this fall if I can get a place with recone the speaker. Actually, the speaker looks the same as the one in my finickey model 89 cathedral. Hmm..
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Jayce Wrote:I've always had a weak spot for the little console versions of the baby grand radios.
Same here. I picked up this Model 90 Highboy about a year ago to go with my Model 90 Cathedral. I did the electronics restoration and it plays great, but haven't gotten to the cabinet work yet. I have too many others in the queue right now.
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Good luck with your radio.
Ed
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One could argue that Philco either made alot if baby grand versions of consoles or made several console versions of baby grands during that period. When you get down to the nitty-gritty, my 116X is basically a souped up version of the 116B baby grand. Perhaps you could call the 116X the ultimate console conversion of of a baby grand? I know I'd love to find a 116B to go down in my bedroom here at the house.
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Jayce Wrote:One could argue that Philco either made alot if baby grand versions of consoles or made several console versions of baby grands during that period. When you get down to the nitty-gritty, my 116X is basically a souped up version of the 116B baby grand. Perhaps you could call the 116X the ultimate console conversion of of a baby grand? I know I'd love to find a 116B to go down in my bedroom here at the house.
I think that in the case of the 16B and 16L, 16H, 16X, and the 116B etc., they are console chassis shoved in a table model cabinet, the 90 and 91 almost border on that. Come to think of it the original series of Philco AC console sets with the pan chassis came from the steel table sets like the 511 series.
Regards
Arran
